The door of motor vehicles includes an exterior door panel and a mated inner door frame, conventionally composed of sheet metal but may be composed of another material. The inner frame has an access port for assembly and service of components within the door, such as window lift mechanisms and door lock components. While in the past, it was considered sufficient to merely provide a flexible plastic film over the access port to serve as a water barrier, it has become an increasingly standard practice to provide a rigid plastic port cover which is affixed to the inner door frame so as to seal the port. The door trim panel is also a formed rigid plastic piece which is mated to the inner door frame after the port cover has been installed. This installation is complicated because motor vehicles today contain an array of electrical connections which must be effected between the door trim panel and the inner door frame (inclusive of the port cover).
An example of a prior art electrical connection between a door trim panel and an inner door frame is depicted at FIG. 1. A female connector 10 has stand-off tabs 12 which are immovably affixed by screws 14 to a stanchion member 16 which is integrally connected to a door trim panel 18 which is, in turn, to be fitted to an inner door frame (an example thereof is shown in FIG. 7). The female connector 10 includes a pump-handle lock 22 and left and right guide tabs 24, 26 at either side thereof. A male connector 28 includes a ramped boss 30 and left and right tab collets 32, 34 located at either side thereof. The left and right tab collets are pivotally connected, via mounting studs 36, to an attachment housing which is connected, such as by a slide mount interface, to a port cover, which is, in turn, sealably affixed to the inner door frame (see generally FIGS. 6 and 7). In operation, as the door trim panel is fitted to the inner door frame, the left and right guide tabs enter into the left and right tab collets until the pump-handle lock rides over the ramped boss, whereupon the female and male connectors are locked into mutual engagement.
There are two primary concerns with respect to electrical connections made between the inner door frame and the door trim panel. Firstly, it is essential that when the door trim panel is mated to the inner door frame, any connections therebetween are assuredly attained without an undue amount of manipulation or inspection being required by the assembler. Secondly, over time any connection made between the inner door frame and the door trim panel is subjected to relative motion between the first and second connectors. Relative motion between the male and female connectors may be caused, for example, by vibration and surface flexing as the motor vehicle is driven, by temperature variations, or by forces exerted by the passenger on the door trim panel. Relative motion between the male and female connectors can eventually cause electrical connections to fail not only because of direct mechanical failure but for other reasons, such as for example corrosion originating at wear sites.
Accordingly, what remains needed in the art is a connection modality between the inner door frame and the door trim panel which provides assurance of a connection between first and second connectors and lack of relative motion therebetween.